I found out why my section of the Prairie Path is closed. From the Naperville Sun:

The bridge is being replaced due to the age and deteriorating condition of the structure. The new 14-foot wide bicycle and pedestrian bridge will meet current trail standards for width and accessibility. Work on the new bridge is scheduled to be completed by early June.

The current bridge is barely wide enough for two people to squeeze past each other. It’ll be nice to see a new bridge there over the river, and I hope they can meet their planned re-opening date. It would make a nice birthday present for me.

People who see me fairly regularly know my hands sometimes get really scratched up after I’ve done a cleaning shift at the cat shelter. Recently, the main culprit has been Steel, a one and a half year old gray male who spent some time as a stray before finding Cat Guardians.

He can’t have been socialized very well, because he got a reputation right away as a troublemaker. He bit and scratched cats and humans alike, and he stole food from the other cats. It got to the point where none of the other cats would let him near them, at least without giving him a preemptive swat.

Maybe it’s just that he’s older now, or maybe playing with Thirteen (another youngster) taught him the right way to behave. Maybe Hank and I were just good male role models, even. But, Steel has made big progress over the last few weeks. He was in a cage tonight, just in case, and he did nothing but rub against my hand and melt when I petted him. Another volunteer reached her fingers through the bars, and he was a sweetheart for her. He did give her a few gentle, playful nips, but he followed them up with some kisses all better.

Steel…the wild cat everyone was afraid of, is turning into a sweetheart.

How awesome is that? Now we just need to find him a home.

Tried to reach mom a couple of times tonight, using my cell & Amy’s. Kept getting the same “could not be completed” message.

Finally broke down and bought $10 of Skype credit, and called her over the Internet. The quality was amazing (at least on my end), and I was able to get through (the important part).

*sigh*

One more thing that has me rearing to leave Sprint as soon as possible.